List of time capsules

This is a list of time capsules. The International Time Capsule Society estimates there are between 10,000 and 15,000 time capsules worldwide.^[1]

By country

Australia

On 29 September 1896, when the Perth Observatory foundation was laid, the occasion was attended by Sir John Forrest and other notable dignitaries. Several items of importance were placed in a 'leaden box', sealed and deposited in a cavity beneath the foundation stone. The local press reported the event and mentioned here since "Röntgen rays tubes, and a description of the process, together with specimen photographs", donated by X-ray pioneer William John Hancock were included in the cache.^[2] This is the first known instance of a time capsule in Western Australia, and in Australia.

In celebration of its golden jubilee, Epping Boys High School of Sydney buried a time capsule in the foyer of its library, in 2007, to be unearthed in the centenary year. A previous time capsule was buried in 1982 to celebrate the silver jubilee. The town of Cowra in central Western New South Wales contained a time capsule which was buried near a sculpture of an eagle in the park not far from the town's information center. The capsule was opened in the year 2000 on an unspecified date, although the sculpture remains, there is no mention of the time capsule once buried there. [Source unavailable]. A time capsule is also located at Nailsworth Primary School in South Australia, being planted in 2001 to be opened in 2025, this capsule was planted to replace the 1977 capsule opened the same year.^[3] A time capsule is also present on the grounds of Melbourne High school in Victoria.

Bermuda

In celebration of its 150th corporate anniversary, Bacardi Limited installed a 1.82m x 0.30m stainless steel time capsule, encased in a granite cap and cement pedestal, in front of the Bacardi worldwide headquarters in Bermuda. The capsule was placed in December 2012 and is intended to be opened in 2062, at the company's 200th anniversary.^[4]

Canada

• A geologist left a bottled message in 1959 in a cairn on Ward Hunt Island (83°N latitude), allowing its finders in 2013 to determine that a nearby glacier had retreated over 200 feet in 54 years.^[5]
• Inside The World's Largest Axe in Nackawic, New Brunswick
• 6 Feet Underground Chinook Centre in Calgary, Alberta
• 1234 Main Street, Moncton, New Brunswick
• Inside Joseph Salter memorial, Main Street, Moncton, New Brunswick

India

• Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had buried a time capsule outside one of the gate of Red Fort complex, Delhi containing post-independence history of India on 15 August 1972 amid political opposition. It was scheduled to be opened after 1000 years. The next Janata government unearthed it in 1977 but its content never made public and lost.^[6][7][8][9]
• A time capsule buried in presence of the President of India near the auditorium of IIT Kanpur on 6 March 2010.^[10][11]
• Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar containing history of Indian state of Gujarat marking golden jubilee of its foundation. Installed in 2010.^[12][13]
• Alexandra Girls' English Institution, a school in Fort, South Mumbai buried time capsule in 2014 and scheduled to be opened on 1 September 2062, a bi-centennial year of school.^[14]

Israel

• A time capsule was installed under Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv at 30 December 1999. It is scheduled to be opened 100 years later.

Kazakhstan

• In Aktau, people of 1967 sent a message showing the chronology of the development of Mangyshlak Peninsula with the names of the people who helped to build the town in the desert. The letter was put in a metallic cylinder in a triangular marble urn. It is scheduled to be opened in November 2017.^[15]

Poland

• Prisoners from the Auschwitz concentration camp concealed bottles containing sketches^[16] and writings^[17] that were found after World War II.
• In 2016, a copper-cylinder time capsule dating to 1934 was found beneath the former Nazi training facility in the Ordensburg Krössinsee building in Złocieniec, Poland.^[18] The time capsule, which contained photographs, newspapers, coins, and two copies of Hitler's Mein Kampf, was retrieved by researchers who navigated through thick concrete, German mines, and groundwater.^[18]

Russia

• In 2012 a time capsule dating from July 15, 1979 was found in Vulkanny (Yelizovsky District, Kamchatka peninsula) under a statue of Lenin. It contained messages to the "socialist society in 2024."^[19]

Singapore

• In early 2016, beneath the foundation stone of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, a shoebox-sized time capsule from June 18, 1843 was discovered and was found to include a prayer booklet and newspapers, and international coins.^[20] The capsule is thought to have been buried by French Catholic missionary priests and other founding communities of Singapore.^[20]

Spain

• An 1834 time capsule was discovered in 2009 under a statue of Miguel de Cervantes in Madrid. It contains a guide and four volumes of the 1819 edition of Don Quixote.^[21]
• A time capsule was buried in Motril, Granada. It will be opened on July 22, 2023 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the cantonal movement.^[22]

United Kingdom

• Kingussie, Scotland: in August 2015 workers discovered a metal box containing a newspaper from 29 September 1894, a paper scroll and a bottle believed to contain whisky.|^[23]
• Macclesfield, Cheshire: in April 2010 an urn container from 1876 was found under a granite slab in the United Reformed Church. The content (newspapers and photographs) was perfectly preserved.^[24]
• The children's television show Blue Peter have buried several time capsules during the programme's run. Ones buried in London in 1971 and 1984 were opened in January 2000. A third was then buried to be opened in 2029, which has since been relocated to Salford, Greater Manchester. One was also placed under the Millennium Dome in London in 1998, to be opened in 2050.^[25]
• Southampton, Hampshire: a 1935 message in a lemonade bottle, correctly portending difficult times lying ahead, was found in 2016 by masons restoring damaged Portland stone at Southampton Guildhall.^[26]

United States

• Richmond, Indiana. Time capsule placed in cornerstone of YMCA in 1955.
• Time Capsule in ghost town, Centralia, Pennsylvania was to be opened in 2016 but was opened in 2014 instead. Within the time capsule was about two feet of water destroying most paper artifacts in the capsule. A miner's helmet and a pair of bloomers signed by the men living in the city at the time are among artifacts that remained.^[27][28]
• Crypt of Civilization in Atlanta, Georgia^[29]
• Westinghouse Time Capsules in New York City^[30]
• Helium Centennial Time Columns Monument in Amarillo, Texas^[31]
• Disneyland 40th Anniversary Time Capsule in Anaheim, California; to open in July 2035
• Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY: a time capsule placed in a cornerstone in 1954 was found in January 2013^[32]
• Salt Lake City, 78 S. Main & 100 South: In 2012, a time capsule from Nov. 25, 1959 containing predictions for the year 2000 was found in the outside wall of the former First Federal Savings Bank^[33]
• Fort Collins, Colorado: In January 2013, a time capsule dated June 6, 1907 was found in a cornerstone of the building at 140 Oak Street^[34]
• Merrick Park Time Capsule in Coral Gables, Florida
• A 100-year-old time capsule in the First Lutheran Church of Oklahoma City opened on April 23, 2013, http://www.okhistory.org/centurychest/ and, http://newsok.com/a/q/3791091 .
• Detroit Century Box in Detroit, Michigan, containing 56 letters from prominent citizens, sealed at midnight on December 31, 1900 and opened on December 31, 2000^[35][36]
• In 1992, a time capsule was buried at Nickelodeon Studios containing items that kids considered important at that time. It was moved to the Nickelodeon Suites Resort Orlando in 2005 and later to the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in 2016, and will be opened in 2042.^[37]
• Time capsule in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
• Time capsule encased in cement at the entrance of the Miami Dade County Courthouse, 73 W. Flagler, St., Miami, Florida. To be opened on Sept. 17, 2087.
• The Samuel Adams and Paul Revere Time Capsule was found under the Golden Dome of the Massachusetts State House in December 2014. It is believed to have been buried in 1795 by then-Governor Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. Being 219 years old, it is the oldest time capsule to be discovered in the United States.^[38]
• On January 14, 2000, Livermore California buried two time capsules. Information at http://www.lhg.org/time. One capsule may have been reburied from a previous burial.
• Time capsule at St. Joseph School in Mendham, NJ.
• The largest time capsule in the world is located in Seward, Nebraska. Over 5000 items a bomb and car. The capsule is 45 tons.
• On September 1, 1975, a time capsule was buried at the intersection of 7th and Main in Louisville, Kentucky to be opened in 100 years.^[39]

In space

• Apollo 11 goodwill messages, on the Moon
• Immortality Drive, in the International Space Station

Projected

• KEO
• Lansing Time Capsule

Timeline

Openings

Dates of opening of already opened capsules.

Scheduled openings

Scheduled opening dates for already installed capsules.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Time capsules.

Look up time capsule in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Ten most-wanted time capsules, Ogelthorpe University